Looks like SKW doesn't want to park 50 seaters

[General Lee]

I think Delta intends to replace the -120s with Embraer 140s as soon as CHQ's AA contract is up.

Only 125 total 50 seat jets, and 40 seat jets count in that number I believe. How many seats do E140s have? 40? I don't know.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[i fly boxes]

Here is today's quote from RA on the conference call via "Seeking Alpha:"


"The first investment we are making is to restructure our domestic fleet by eliminating a substantial portion of our 50-seat regional jet fleet. We’ve already completely retired our propeller fleet. We will ultimately replace 75% of our 50-seat flying with more cost-effective mainline aircraft and two-class regional jets. Our 50-seaters peaked at more than 500 in 2008 and we intend to reduce it to less than 125 aircraft over the next two years."



I do have a question though. Aren't there still SkyWest Brasilias flying for Delta out of SLC to SUN etc? I thought I saw some there a few weeks back?

Here's more from the conference call:


Operator
Next we’ll hear from Helane Becker with Dahlman Rose & Company.

Helane Becker – Dahlman Rose & Company
Thanks very much, operator. Hi everybody. So just with respect to the changes you’re going to make over on the regional side, one of your major providers is basically out there saying that there’s no way you can get out of their contract, and the contracts go out four or five more years. And I’m just kind of wondering how we should think about that, given the fact that you’ve got to get down to something like 125 50-seaters over the next I think three years.

Richard Anderson
Well we have, without going into the particulars of any of the contracts that we have, we have a steady path to be able to get to 125. So we, without going into the specifics, we have a confident path of moving to the 125 and I’ll just leave it at that.



Interesting. I guess we'll see what happens.




Bye Bye---General Lee

Its going to be pinnacles 140 200's Comairs 13 200's Chautauquas 24 emb 145s and any 200 that asa operates that delta still owns.

 

[General Lee]

Its going to be pinnacles 140 200's Comairs 13 200's Chautauquas 24 emb 145s and any 200 that asa operates that delta still owns.

But SkyWest and ASA have 90 and 60 50 seaters each respectively working Delta feed, and that equals 150. The total supposedly will be 125. Can you see the problem? I just wonder how it will be worked out. Maybe they will be offered some 76 seaters in exchange?



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[JumpersAway]

Its going to be pinnacles 140 200's Comairs 13 200's Chautauquas 24 emb 145s and any 200 that asa operates that delta still owns.

And after those cuts from the afformentioned, SkyWest Inc. will be the last one standing with enough capitol to finance the replacement airframes. The question then becomes, how is SkyWest going to keep their 50 seaters flying for DAL, while simultaneously staffing any newfound airframes?

I stick with my statement from another thread, that if Delta wants to terminate any contract with SkyWest Inc., all they need to do is hire a high number of SkyWest Inc. pilots. SkyWest Inc. won't be able to recruit enough pilots fast enough to maintain the minimum performance criteria needed to maintain the ironclad contracts, and thusly, they will be left open to termination. Fixed easy enough on behalf of DAL.

 

[amcnd]

And after those cuts from the afformentioned, SkyWest Inc. will be the last one standing with enough capitol to finance the replacement airframes. The question then becomes, how is SkyWest going to keep their 50 seaters flying for DAL, while simultaneously staffing any newfound airframes?

I stick with my statement from another thread, that if Delta wants to terminate any contract with SkyWest Inc., all they need to do is hire a high number of SkyWest Inc. pilots. SkyWest Inc. won't be able to recruit enough pilots fast enough to maintain the minimum performance criteria needed to maintain the ironclad contracts, and thusly, they will be left open to termination. Fixed easy enough on behalf of DAL.

The 200's for 900's swap out is over a 3 year time frame as 717's come online..
Doubt they will have. Hiring problem...

 

[Flyer1015]

During the earnings call, Aviation Week reporter Andrew Compart asked about a report that Delta Connection partner SkyWest is balking at the notion of having to park 50-seaters that SkyWest has under long-term contract with Delta.

Anderson said Delta has "a number of operators and a number of contracts" up for renegotiation and added, "We've been able to do 180. I think you just need to stay tuned. It's going to happen."

 

[JumpersAway]

The 200's for 900's swap out is over a 3 year time frame as 717's come online..
Doubt they will have. Hiring problem...

I disagree completely. I think the regionals are going to have a massive hiring problem. Being a junior captain, and flying with junior First Officers, I have talked to more than a handful of pilots that agree. The majority of the junior First Officers that instructed tought nothing but foreign kids to fly. There are no Americans in the pipeline to fill the void from hiring, and the pay isn't lucrative enough to entice pilots to get deep in debt for the return. The ONLY hope that SkyWest has is to recruit pilots from other, defunct airlines and regionals. The problem with that is that the majority of those pilots have already done first year regional, probationary pay, and are unwilling to do it again. Why fly for another regional, starting at the bottom, when you can go to Kalitta, Southern Air, or over seas to fly making WAY more money???????

 

[No Delay]

Cause most people don't want to live in another country.

And mama and kids certainly don't want to move either!

 

[wms]

Part 135 is feeling the squeeze also. Their mins are unchanged and starting pay is better. I'm telling young pilots to go 135 to get experience and the atp type. The operator I worked for paid for my atp/type and gave me experience and a good life. Had I to do it again I'd have skipped the regionals, but hindsight...